The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-13
GREEN GRASS.
The Last of a Series of Interest
ing Letters.
GRASS AS VERY PROFITABLE CROP.

importance to grass and hay allow me to civ,
them few comparative figures.
In 1880 the twelve states of North Carolina
South Carolina, Florida, Georgia. Alabama
Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana Texas. Ar
kansas, Missouri and Kentucky produced j,
round numbers, 100000 bales of cotton
which, at an average OF $50 per bale, amount
cd to three hundred millions of dollars.
In the same year, the twelve states O.
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa
chusetts, New York, PENNSYLVANIA. Ohio In
diana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and low
produced, in round numbers, twentv-six mil
lion tons of hay, which, at an average OF S1(
per ton, amounted to two hundred and sixty
million dollars
Over five-sixth of the value of the cotton cron
When we add to the hay crop the value Of
grass we have sum much larger than that OF
the cotton crop.
Is not such valuable crop worthy of some
attention?
So much for the total value of these two
crops, now let us make comparison as to
profits:
A very low estimate of the expense of rails
ing cotton is thirty dollars per bale. which
would make the EXPENSE of raising tho 1850
crop one hundred and eighty millions of dol
lars, which subtracted from the total yalue
would leave one hundred and twenty millions
of dollars as profit
A standard estimate of the expense of rails
make the expense of the 1880 crop 1ifty-two
millions of dollars, which subtracted from the
total value would leave two hundred and
eighty millions of dollars as profit.
SO it will be seen that in the matter of profits
the. hay crop is nearly double in value that of
the cotton crop; and considering the fact that
cotton exhausts the land and lgrass reinforces
it the profits may be safely fixed as double.
1t should be remembered, too, that while I
have given cotton the benefit of the highest
~ in CON flnpyN
only fixed the price of hay at one-half it sells
for in those markets.
Cotton has been we'll named king, for it ex-
acts from its subjects the profits of their hard
labor and keeps them in abject slavery. In
the great republic of grass every farmer is a
freeman, and with his herds of cattle and
sheep and hogs is patriarch exercising an in
dependent sovereignty.
Do L advise southern farmers to quit plant
ang cotton and turn all their attention to
grass?
By no means. But I do advise them not to
plant so mnch cotton, and to raise more grass
1t would be safe plan for every cotton plant
or to begin by planting one-fourth less cotton,
and put this one-fourth in grass, and so grad
ually reduce his cotton and increase his grass
until they should be equal in area | under
stand full we'll the difficulty the southern
farmer will have in making the change. but a
change is necessary, and the sooner it is begun
the better. The result of such change would
be, not less yield Of cotton, but the same yield
of cotton at less cost
There is an element in grass culture that I
have only casually alluded to, but which is
most important, and that is its effect upon the
soil III restoring it to its natural VipOr All
cotton planters concede that the richness and
strength of virgin soil is due to the large
amount of vegetable matter found in it, and
when this is exhausted the land becomes
sterile This vegetable matter is true plant
food, because it contains the element of plant
life, being in itself the decayed plant. The
richness of the Illinois prairie consists entirely
of the decayed grass, and when that is ex-
hausted the land becomes poor. What grass
has once done for land it can do again
It sends its roots down into the earth
iooSening the pores and permeating through
every inch, and as these roots decay they store
The land with vegetable matter. The grass
also shades the ground and protects it from the
ecorchlng rays OF the sun, retaining moisture
A piece of land which has been in grass for
hive years, when turned over by the plow has
in it all the clements of virgin soil 1t is well
known that barren land by rest of q few
gears, regainS portion of its fertility but grass
not only gives the necessary rest, but can be
made source of profit. The cotton planter
knows that grass will grow thiclzly upon land
which will not yield half crop of cotton,
showing that while the elements which make
cotton are exhausted, those elements which
make grass are retained.
There is another feature connected with
grass that should engage the attention of the
intelligent farmer, and that is the relation it
bears to the value of farming lands. When
ever and wherever you hear Of farming lands
selling for 500 per acre and over, you NAV al
most invariably set it down that grass is grow
ing on them Farming lands are valuable in
proportion to the profit that can be derived
from them. just as with other property. When
bne farmers OF Georgia can make their lands
yield them an income of eight dollars per
acre, then their lands will be worth, and will
Sell Tor, one hundred dollars per acre, and win
be sought for at that price 1t is because with
the aid of grass the farmers of Ohio have
made their lands pay the interest on one
hundred dollars per acre that they can COM
mand that price. While it is true that an in
crease of population may increase the price of
lands III the neighborhood of cities, it
lands. Men invest in property &C,
cording to the income it yields. / have
seen few successive years of bad crops in
grain growing sections dcpreciate the price of
lands fifty per cent, because they were not re-
garded as paying property The lands in the
bluegrass region of Kentucky command a
high price simply ON account of the grass for
there are other sections that are as valuable
Tor gram. Here, then, is a hint for the far
mers of Georgia to not only make their lands
more valuable, but to find for them a ready
sale. Grow grass and show the farmers OF the
north that ii can be made as profitable as the
lands of Ohio and Kentucky, and You will
have done more to attract immigration to this
be done. We have had several excursion par
ties of Ohio farmers into this state, but we pro-
cured few settlers, for the reason that the
first question they asked was, Can you grow
grass" and we were unable to show them
green meadows and pastures. If you tell them
that you can grow grass. the next question is,
"Why don't you do t?" The old saying of
"seeing is believing goes a great ways with
the average farmer. Let him see the fields of
grass and you will have no need of argument
They know what grass means and how to use
1t.
When, by means of grass, you have made
your lands more valuable, you will feel less
disposed to sell your lands for you will have
found that they are as profitable to you as to
any one else, and farming will have pleasant
as well as profitable occupation. The labor
question will worry you less, the Imoney ques-
ton will not absorb your waking thoughts and
color your dreams.
Since the publication of the first OF these
letters have received many letters from diff
ferent sections Of the south asking advice in
regard to growing grasses. 1t has been a
pleasure to me to receive them, as showing
that an interest is being awakened in our
farmers on this important subject, and l hope
that that interest may not prove to be only
momentary, but that many may be induced to
practice what | have preached.
Those letters asking advice | have hepO mn